Boys basketball season preview: Sprague look to lead the Central Valley Conference

Sprague appears to be the league’s early favorite, so it will be a struggle in Salem this winter. However, don’t overlook West Salem, who have been among the most difficult teams for some time.

Here is a quick overview of the Central Valley Conference’s boys basketball teams, arranged alphabetically:

McNary Celtics

Season last: 14–11

Ryan Kirch, coach

Important participants: Cole Ricketts, W/F, JR; Aydn Dallum, W/F, JR; Anthony Fuentas, G, JR; and Steven Adams, G, SR

Outlook: With a 6-6 record from the previous season, McNary placed third in their league. The Celtics could make another leap this season now that three all-conference players are back in the fold. Adams, a guard who made the all-conference first team the previous season, is the club’s star. Additionally, he is the only senior on a roster that is made up completely of juniors. Fuentes, the most productive of the junior returnees, made the second team a year ago.

North Salem Vikings

Season last: 2–23

Hemingway Huynh is the coach.

Important participants: Droiy Comstock, G, SR; Kep Barram, G, SR; Maverick Huynh, G, SR

Prospects: The Vikings, who finished with a 0–12 conference record the previous season, have a new coach and a squad that includes 10 seniors who are eager to improve. According to Huynh, this team has encountered many difficulties throughout the years, such as difficult situations and coaching changes. But as a result of these encounters, they have matured and learned to enjoy the game. Not just their win-loss record, but also their relationships, commitment to excellence, and personal and group development, define their path. Making the most of their last season is the goal of the deep senior group.

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South Salem Saxons

Season last: 9–15

Coach: Kip Ioane

Important participants: Tko Westbrook, W, JR; Jack Lapray, G, JR; and Teagan Scott, G, JR

Outlook: Ioane is starting his first season as a prep coach after more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience. With a solid junior core led by Scott, Lapray, and Westbrook, Ioane is occupied with showing his team how crucial it is to strike a balance between their attention to detail and competition. According to him, people occasionally make the error of thinking that playing at our desired speed is simpler than playing at more deliberate, slower tempos. In actuality, the children will need to learn the nuances of our system before they can appreciate the freedom it will grant them. He went on to say that he has loved learning with his athletes and that this year would be enjoyable as we create the groundwork for the program and strive for high-caliber outcomes.

Sprague Olympians

Season last: 16–9

Jordan Graneto is the coach.

Important participants: Dukatti Witherspoon, F, SR; Antony West, W, SR; Avery Lohrman, G, SR; Braxton Long, G, SR; and Jardon Stanley, G, SR

Outlook: The Olympians won the Central Valley Conference last season with a 10-2 league record. They bring back a number of important players for what should be a long and athletic squad in 2024. Coach Graneto thinks that Sprague’s length should help him damage teams during transitions and provide a strong defense all winter long.

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West Salem Titans

Last season: 20–6

Coach: Dean Sanderson

Important participants: Evan Wusstig, W, JR; Jacob Sanderson, G, JR; Tyler Hawkins, F, SR; and Diggs Sladek, F, JR

Prospects: The Titans defeated Nelson in the opening round of the previous season’s playoffs, but they narrowly lost to Tualatin with a trip to the Chiles Center at stake. Sanderson is now leading another team that hopes to make the playoffs after former head coach Travis Myers went on to West Linn. Although West Salem doesn’t produce much on the varsity level, Sanderson is still optimistic that their size and capacity to cause problems in games will help them survive. He claimed that we will be able to compete with strong teams sooner rather than later after this group determines who we are with a new coaching staff.

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